Tiltable aerosol dispensing

ABSTRACT

A tilt-type dispensing valve has a resilient valve body member with a configured passageway therethrough, a chamber therein and a valve element located in the passageway. The valve insert member includes a head portion disposed in the chamber to resiliently deform the chamber to provide sealing engagement between the valve body and the valve element. The valve element engages the body and permits relative pivotal movement between the insert member and the body member in response to the application of a lateral force to the protruding portion of the insert member to thereby open a flow passageway through the dispensing valve.

United States Patent 1 Leimbach 1 July 31, 1973 TILTABLE AEROSOLDISPENSING [75] Inventor: Richard C. Leimbaeh, Durham, N.C.

[73] Assignee: Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: Oct. 27,1971 [21] Appl. No.: 193,010

[52] U.S. Cl. 251/348 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6lt 31/58 [58] Field 01 Search251/348, 353, 342, 251/346, 347; ZZZ/402.22, 402.23, 402.24

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,155,290 11/1964 Venus, Jr251/353 X 3,270,925 9/1966 Obst 251/353 X 3,405,846 10/1968 ZZZ/402.24 X3,521,859 7/1970 Gironemeyer 251/353 3,596,811 8/1971 Gironemeyer et al.222/402.24 3,647,120 3/1972 Steiman 222/402.22

FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 590,977 1/1960 Canada 222/402.22

if 2 36 /V Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott Attorney-Thomas E. Davis [57]ABSTRACT A tilt-type dispensing valve has a resilient valve body memberwith a configured passageway therethrough, a chamber therein and a valveelement located in the passageway. The valve insert member includes ahead portion disposed in the chamber to resiliently deform the chamberto provide sealing engagement between the valve body and the valveelement. The valve element engages the body and pennits relative pivotalmovement between the insert member and the body member in response tothe application of a lateral force to the protruding portion of theinsert member to thereby open a flow passageway through the dispensingvalve.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 TILTABLE AEROSOL DISPENSING BACKGROUND OFINVENTION 1. Field of Invention This invention relates to aerosolvalves, and more particularly to tiltable type aerosol valves having aunitary resilient valve body member with a configured passagewaytherethrough and a valve insert member disposed within the passageway.

11. Discussion of Prior Art Valves of this general type have been usedin pressurized containers to dispense the contents of the container andalthough such valves were simple in construction and economical tomanufacture, they were subject to several inherent problems. The mostpertinent examples of prior art known to the applicant are as follows:

U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,406 to Countryman issued Sept. 18, 1956;

U.S. Pat. No. 2,779,516 to Soffer issued Jan. 29, 1957;

U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,806 to Tedaldi issued Apr. 8, I958;

U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,086 to Collins issued June 2, 1959;

U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,682 to Venus Jr. issued May 7,

U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,198 to Flynn issued July 8, 1969;

U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,050 to Bruce et al. issued Dec. 22, 1970;

U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,771 to Eyerdam et al. issued Oct. 20, 1970. One ofthe major problems of prior art valves was the prevention of leakage andmaintainence of sealing engagement between the valve insert member andthe body member throughout repeated actuations of the valve. Many times,after several actuations, the prior art valve would begin leaking beforeall of the product in'the pressurized container had been dispensed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the drawbacksof the prior art by providing for a coactive relationship between aresilient valve body and a valve element wherein several different areasof the resilient valve body are stressed or resiliently deformed by thevalve element to provide a biasing force acting on the element tendingto return the element to sealing engagement with a flow passagewaythrough the valve body upon removal of an external force appliedthereto.

The present invention accomplishes this by providing aresilient valvebody having a configured passageway therethrough and including a.chamber therein. A particularly configured rigid valv'e'element isdisposed in sealing engagement with the chamber and protrudes from thepassageway. The valve element includes a head having a rounded endportion disposed in the chamber and in sealing engagement with a portionof the passageway. The head on the valve element has a greater axialdimension than the chamber of the body whereby the head of the valveelement will deform the chamber to provide a resilient tensile biasingforce in the body member acting to maintain sealing engagement of thevalve element with the passageway. The valve element further includes aradially extending flange adapted to engage an end surface of theresilient valve body. The distance between the flange and the headportion of the valve element is less than the corresponding distance ofthe resilient valve body member to thereby provide a compressive forcein the resilient valve body. These forces act on the valve element tomaintain it in sealing position with the passageway. Additional forcestending to ensure return of the valve element to sealing engagement withthe flow passage upon removal of a valve opening force are provided bycoaction between other portions of the valve element and body.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a tiltabletype valve having a resiliently deformable valve body with a passagewaytherethrough and a valve element disposed in sealing engagement withsaid passageway and protruding therefrom and wherein the valve elementis dimensioned to continuously deform the valve body in a plurality ofdifferent modes to ensure sealing engagement between the valve elementand the body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tiltable typevalve having a resiliently deformable valve body including a passagewaytherethrough, and a valve element disposed in sealing engagement withthe passageway, and wherein the valve element includes a rounded noseportion movable to open said passageway and a radially extending flangefor engaging an end surface of the body member to provide for pivotalmovement of said valve element upon application of an external forcethereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a tiltable typevalve having a resiliently deformable body and a valve insert member andwherein the insert member normally places one portion of the body intension and another portion in compression.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from a consideration of the drawing and description of thepreferred embodiment which follows hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view showing the valve ofthe instant invention in a pressurized container.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the valve assembly in theopen position pennitting flow therethrough.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the valve element of the instantinvention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the valve body of the instantinvention. r 0

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein there is shown apressurized fluid container 10 having a circular aperture 12 through awall thereof adapted to receive a valve assembly 14 in sealingengagement therewith. An actuator head 15 is shown disposed on thevalveass'embly 14. The actuator head 15 is of conventional design wellknown in the art and forms no part of the invention of the instantapplication, consequently further description of the actuator head willnot be undertaken.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the valve assembly 14 comprises a resilientlydeformable valve body member 16 having a configured flow passageway 18therethrough. A valve element 20 is disposed in sealing engagement withthe passageway 18 and extends outwardly from the body 16.

The passageway 18 of body 16 has an axially extending bore 22 and anenlarged chamber 24. A first sealable surface 26 of body 16 is disposedat the juncture of bore 22 and chamber 24. One end of the chamber 24 isdefined by a generally concave surface 28 of body 16 while the other endis defined by a radially inwardly extending annular lip 30. In therelaxed, undeformed condition of body 16 as shown in FIG. 5, the sealingsurface 26 is axially spaced a first predetermined distance (X,) fromthe annular lip 30 at the opposite end of the chamber. Beyond theannular lip 30, the configured passageway 18 has an axially extendingcylindrical recess 32. The recess 32 extends axially to an end surface34 of the body. In the relaxed, undeformed condition of body 16 as shownin FIG. 5, the end surface 34 is spaced a second predetermined distance(Y from the annular lip 30.

The resilient valve body 16 has an enlarged flange 36 and annular groove38 disposed thereon adapted to sealingly engage the peripheral surfaceof aperture 12 in the container 10. The resilient valve body 16 furtherincludes a depending skirt 40 for receiving a standard dip tube 42. Theannular groove 38 is axially positioned between the annular lip 30 andend surface 34, to ensure peripheral sealing engagement between theannular lip 30 and the valve element 20 when the valve as sembly 14 isin position with aperture 12 of container 10.

The valve element 20, as shown in FIG. 4, has a head portion 44 with arounded nose portion 46 at one end thereof and a radially extendingflange 48 at the other end thereof. The distance between the nose 46 andthe farthermost end of the flange 48 being a third predetermineddistance (X,). The valve element 20 further includes a reducedintermediate portion 50, a conically configured surface 52, a radiallyextending flange 54 having a radially extending surface 56 thereon, anda stem portion 58 for receiving the actuator head 15. The distancebetween adjacent surfaces of the flanges 46 and 54 is a fourthpredetermined distance (Y Intermediate portion 50 of valve element 20 isslightly larger than the diameter across the tip of annular lip 30.Further, conical portion 52 at its upper end is slightly larger thancylindrical recess 32.

The valve element 20 has an axial bore 60 extending from one end 62 ofthe stern portion 58 to a position intermediate the rounded nose portion46 and the flange 48, and an orifice 64. The orifice 64 extends in aradial direction from bore 60 to a surface 65 of the valve elementbetween nose 46 and flange 48. Bore 60 .and' orifice 64 thus provide afluid flow path from chamber 24 to the atmosphere when valve element 20I is assembled in the resilient valve body 16.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and in the preferred embodiment, the distanceX, of the resilient valve body is less than the corresponding distance Xof the rigid valve element, and the distance Y, of the resilient valvebody is greater than the corresponding distance Y, of the rigid valveelement. Thus when the valve element is assembled into the resilientvalve body 16, the material of the resilient valve body in the areacorresponding to the distance X, will be placed under a tensile rsss ndat i in th bsstv s asqms E? t distance Y, (will be placed in acompressive stress. The particular variances in the distances X and Ymust be determined from such considerations as the hardness or durometerof the resilient valve body Accordingly, when the valve assembly 14 isin the normally closed condition (FIG. 2) it should now be noted thatsealing contact will exist between the valve element 20 and the valvebody 16 at the following locations: between rounded nose 46 and sealingsurface 26, between upper corner edge of flange 48 and lower portion oflip 30, between intermediate portion 50 and tip of annular lip 30,between concial surface 52 and cylindrical recess 32, and between endsurface 54 and end surface 34.

Thus, when the valve element 20 is disposed within the passageway 18 ofthe resilient valve body, the resilient valve body will exert aplurality of different types of forces acting on the valve elementtending to maintain the rounded nose portion of the valve insert memberin sealing engagement with the sealing surface 26 of the resilient valvebody.

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION With reference to FIG. 3, when an externalradial force (F is applied to the protruding end 62 of valve element 20,such as by pushing on actuator head 15, the valve element 20 will bepivoted about an outer edge of the flange 54 thereby deforming theresilient valve body and the rounded nose portion 46 will open a fluidflow path through the valve assembly. When this happens, the contents ofthe container 10 being under pressure in the container 10 will travel upthe dip tube 42 through the cylindrical bore 22, across the sealingsurface 26 and into the enlarged chamber 24. From chamber 24, thecontents pass through the orifice 64 into axially extending bore 60 andout the atmosphere through the actuator 15 which may be attached to theend 62 of the valve element.

As previously noted, the concially configured surface 52 of valveelement 20 continuously deforms the material of the resilient valve bodyat the upper end of recess 32 to provide an additional sealing surfacewhen the valve is in its normal closed condition. The conical surface 52further provides additional biasing forces and acts as a guide for valveelement 20 when the valve is opened as shown in FIG. 3 to ensure returnof the nose 46 into sealing engagement with sealing surface 26 uponremoval of the radial force which may have been applied to actuator 15.

When the valve element 20 is tilted to the open position as shown inFIG. 3, sealing engagement between the valve element 20 and resilientvalve body 16 exists between the upper comeredge of flange 48 andannular lip 30 and further between intermediate portion 50 and the tipof annular lip 30. Due to coaction between the valve element and body,additional forces tending to ensure a return of nose 46 to sealingengagement with sealing surface 26 exist at the locations indicated byF,, F, and F, as shown in FIG. 3.

It should now be evident to those skilled in the art that the foregoingspecification discloses a new and useful valve for use in pressurizedcontainers, which valve will accomplish the purpose intended.

I claim:

1. A valve assembly for use in a pressurized fluid container, said valveassembly comprising a resiliently deformable body having a passagewaytherethrough and a valve element located within and extending from saidpassageway, said body having an enlarged chamber.

therein disposed along said passageway, one end of said chamber beingdefined by a generally concave internal 'surface of said body to providea first sealing surface,

ally extending flange spaced from said rounded portion I and including asurface in sealing engagement with said lip, a second radially extendingflange located intermediate said first radially extending flange and theother end of said valve element, said second radially extending flangeengaging an end surface of said body and cooperating therewith forpermitting tipping pivotal movement therebetween, and a flow passagewaycommunicating between said chamber and said other end of said valveelement whereby said valve element may be pivoted about said secondflange to deform said body at said second sealing surface and open afluid flow path through said valve assembly.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1 wherein said valve element has anaxial bore and a radial bore, said axial bore extending from said otherend of said valve element to a position intermediate said first radiallyextending flange and said rounded end portion, and said radiallyextending bore communicating between said axially extending bore and anouter surface of said valve element thereby providing the flowpassageway communicating between said chamber and said other end of saidvalve element.

3. In a valve assembly comprising a resiliently deformable body, saidbody having a passageway therethrough, and a valve element disposed insealing relationship with the passageway for normally preventing flowtherethrough, said valve element having a flow passage therein, saidvalve element being tiltable relative to said body to allow fluidcommunication between the passageway in said body member and the flowpassage in said valve element;

the improvement which comprises;

said body defining a first sealing surface in the passageway near oneend thereof, a second sealing surface in the passageway spaced from saidfirst sealing surface, and a third sealing surface at the opposite endof said passageway,

said valve element having a rounded portion disposed ,in sealingengagement with said first sealing surface, a first radially extendingflange disposed in sealing engagement with said second sealing surface,the distance between said rounded portion and said first flange on saidvalve element being greater than the corresponding distance between saidfirst and second sealing surfaces of said deformable body forresiliently tensioning the material of said body between said surfacesto thereby provide a force biasing said rounded portion into sealingengagement with said first sealing surface, and a second radiallyextending flange on said valve element outside of said body and sealablyengaging said third sealing surface thereof, the distance between saidfirst and second flanges on said body being less than the correspondingdistance between said second and third sealing surfaces of saiddeformable body for resiliently compressing the material of said bodydisposed therebetween.

said valve element including a flow passage extending from a positionbetween said rounded portion and said first flange to beyond theopposite end of said body, and

said valve element being pivotable about said second flange to move saidrounded portion arcuately from sealing engagement with said firstsealing surface to open a flow path through said valve assembly wherebythe resiliently compressed material of said body between said secondsurface and said opposite end will be effective to bias the roundedportion toward sealing engagement with said first sealing surface.

4. A valve assembly comprising a resiliently deformable body having aconfigured passageway therethrough and a valve element disposed partlywithin said passageway and extending outwardly therefrom, said bodyhaving a radially extending end surface thereon and an enlarged chambertherein disposed along said passageway, said valve element having a headportion thereon, said head portion being received in the chamber of saidbody, said head portion continuously deforming said body to provide asealing engagement of said body and said valve element with each end ofsaid chamber, said valve element including a flow passagewaycommunicating between said chamber and the outwardly extending end ofsaid valve element, a radially extending flange abutting the radiallyextending surface of said body whereby a tilting force exerted on theoutward extension of said valve element will pivot the valve elementabout an edge of said flange to open a flow passageway through saidvalve assembly and a conical surface adjacent said radially extendingflange, said conical surface being disposed to deform a portion of thepassageway in said resilient body whereby said conical surface will beeffective to create a biasing force to urge said valve element intosealing engagement with said body passageway upon removal of a tiltingforce applied to the outwardly extending portion of said valve element.

I. t I. l

1. A valve assembly for use in a pressurized fluid container, said valveassembly comprising a resiliently deformable body having a passagewaytherethrough and a valve element located within and extending from saidpassageway, said body having an enlarged chamber therein disposed alongsaid passageway, one end of said chamber being defined by a generallyconcave internal surface of said body to provide a first sealingsurface, the other end of said chamber being defined by a radiallyinwardly extending lip of said body to provide a second sealing surface,said valve element having a rounded portion at one end thereof disposedin sealing engagement with said first sealing surface, a first radiallyextending flange spaced from said rounded portion and including asurface in sealing engagement with said lip, a second radially extendingflange located intermediate said first radially extending flange and theother end of said valve element, said second radially extending flangeengaging an end surface of said body and co-operating therewith forpermitting tipping pivotal movement therebetween, and a flow passagewaycommunicating between said chamber and said other end of said valveelement whereby said valve element may be pivoted about said secondflange to deform said body at said second sealing surface and open afluid flow path through said valve assembly.
 2. The invention as definedby claim 1 wherein said valve element has an axial bore and a radialbore, said axial bore extending from said other end of said valveelement to a position intermediate said first radially extending flangeand said rounded end portion, and said radially extending borecommunicating between said axially extending bore and an outer surfaceof said valve element thereby providing the flow passagewaycommunicating between said chamber and said other end of said valveElement.
 3. In a valve assembly comprising a resiliently deformablebody, said body having a passageway therethrough, and a valve elementdisposed in sealing relationship with the passageway for normallypreventing flow therethrough, said valve element having a flow passagetherein, said valve element being tiltable relative to said body toallow fluid communication between the passageway in said body member andthe flow passage in said valve element; the improvement which comprises;said body defining a first sealing surface in the passageway near oneend thereof, a second sealing surface in the passageway spaced from saidfirst sealing surface, and a third sealing surface at the opposite endof said passageway, said valve element having a rounded portion disposedin sealing engagement with said first sealing surface, a first radiallyextending flange disposed in sealing engagement with said second sealingsurface, the distance between said rounded portion and said first flangeon said valve element being greater than the corresponding distancebetween said first and second sealing surfaces of said deformable bodyfor resiliently tensioning the material of said body between saidsurfaces to thereby provide a force biasing said rounded portion intosealing engagement with said first sealing surface, and a secondradially extending flange on said valve element outside of said body andsealably engaging said third sealing surface thereof, the distancebetween said first and second flanges on said body being less than thecorresponding distance between said second and third sealing surfaces ofsaid deformable body for resiliently compressing the material of saidbody disposed therebetween. said valve element including a flow passageextending from a position between said rounded portion and said firstflange to beyond the opposite end of said body, and said valve elementbeing pivotable about said second flange to move said rounded portionarcuately from sealing engagement with said first sealing surface toopen a flow path through said valve assembly whereby the resilientlycompressed material of said body between said second surface and saidopposite end will be effective to bias the rounded portion towardsealing engagement with said first sealing surface.
 4. A valve assemblycomprising a resiliently deformable body having a configured passagewaytherethrough and a valve element disposed partly within said passagewayand extending outwardly therefrom, said body having a radially extendingend surface thereon and an enlarged chamber therein disposed along saidpassageway, said valve element having a head portion thereon, said headportion being received in the chamber of said body, said head portioncontinuously deforming said body to provide a sealing engagement of saidbody and said valve element with each end of said chamber, said valveelement including a flow passageway communicating between said chamberand the outwardly extending end of said valve element, a radiallyextending flange abutting the radially extending surface of said bodywhereby a tilting force exerted on the outward extension of said valveelement will pivot the valve element about an edge of said flange toopen a flow passageway through said valve assembly and a conical surfaceadjacent said radially extending flange, said conical surface beingdisposed to deform a portion of the passageway in said resilient bodywhereby said conical surface will be effective to create a biasing forceto urge said valve element into sealing engagement with said bodypassageway upon removal of a tilting force applied to the outwardlyextending portion of said valve element.